The struggle for power within the Cayuga Indian Nation today turned violent at the tribe’s government office building in Seneca Falls.

One of the Cayugas trying to oust the current leadership drove a pickup truck through a front window at the headquarters before 1:30 p.m., according to Justin Bennett, one of the dissidents. The government office building is next to the nation’s LakeSide Trading gas station and store on Route 89.

Some members of the dissident group then entered the building in search of tribal financial records, Bennett said today.

“Eventually something was going to happen, something was going to boil over,’’ Bennett said. “We want to see how the money is being spent.’’

Lee Alcott, lawyer for the Cayuga Indian Nation, tonight accused Bennett and Michael Campbell, a nation citizen from Utah, of directing others to crash the truck into a window at the headquarters and stealing nation files and computers. He called it "a vicious act of violence which can not be explained or rationalized on any basis."

The truck hitting the building sent bricks flying through the offices and almost killed an employee, Alcott said.

Campbell entered the building and said to nation employee Cheryl Snow, "Now you know we're serious," Alcott said.

Troopers recovered the items taken after the a truck breached the building's wall, some of which were files, Trooper Mark O'Donnell said. Some of the items were returned to Cayuga Nation and others were kept by state police as evidence, he said. One person was in custody after the incident, O'Donnell said, but he had no information on who or what, if any, charges were filed.

Few government employees were in the office building when the truck rammed through the window and no one was hurt “but by the grace of God,’’ said B.J. Radford, the Cayugas’ operations manager.

Radford said she rushed to the scene shortly after the incident and was still there late today.

"The nation fully intends to seek prosecution of all individuals including Mr. Bennett and Mr. Campbell," Alcott said. "At present those individuals remain in possession of nation property and the nation is working with police to see that its property is recovered and that those in possession of the property are also prosecuted."

In June, Bennett’s group – which represents a traditional band of Cayugas – voted to oust Clint Halftown as the nation’s federally recognized representative and his alternate, Timothy Twoguns, and elect new leaders.

The dissidents overthrew Halftown because they said he routinely bullied tribal members who disagreed with him and abused his position to benefit his family.

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs upheld the group’s decision in August but Halftown has since filed a formal appeal and remains in power. A decision on his appeal is pending.